Car seal



Jan. 16, 1951 R. PERRQTTA CAR SEAL Filed Nov. 25, 1946 3mm flffaele'few/'aim Patented Jan. 16, 1951 Raffaele Perrotta, Pueblo, Colo.

Application November 25, 1946, Serial No. '712,195

`1 Claim. I

This invention relates to car seals, a primary object of the inventionbeing to provide a car seal which will berso constructed as to precludethe possibility of its being tampered with undetectably.

Another important object of 'the invention is to provide a car sealwhich can be constructed in an extremely simple manner, and which willbe very inexpensive, both as to materials used and cost of time andlabor expended in its construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction andcombinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described' and pointed outin the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawng Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car sealconstructed in aocordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail plan View, with part of a seal strap embodied inthe invention being cut away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the seal, with parts thereof cut away andWith the lower and upper members of the seal strap removed from the bodyportion, to show details of construction.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the invention embodies a bodyportion 5, of substantially rectangular form, having a longitudinalpassage 6 in which is inserted the ends of 'ap/seal strap 1. Both thebody portion and the seal strap l are preferably formed 'of metallicmaterial, the seal strap 1 being formed of a length of thin bendablemetal of springable quality. The seal strap 1 may in addition be formedwith an opening or registering openings 8 providing a stringing opening.t

In preparing the ends `of the seal strap 1 for positioning within thebody DOI'tOn 5. the end of the upper member of the strap, as shown inFigure 3, is folded backvand under said upper member for a distancewhich is approximately one-fourth the length of the body portion 5,providing a rearwardly extended spring tongue 5'. The end of the lowermember is folded back and under the lower member for a similar distance,then forwardly and under the first fold of the lower member for adistance approximately equal to the length of the body portion 5,providing the shoulder 6'.

The folded end of the lower member of the seal strap 'l is thenpositioned through the passage 6 in the body portion 5, and in closeengagement with the sides of said passage, where it is secured thereinby punching deep depressions G into the surface of the body portion 5resulting in the metal depressed, pressing against the strap securingthe strap within the body portion 5, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

It is to be noticed that the fo1ds in the 1wer w member, together withits clamped engagement with the body portion 5, makes it impossible toWithdraw the lower member from the body portion 5 without clearlyshowing the seal has been tampered with.

Referring to the upper member of the seal strap 1, it is to be notedthat the opening into the passage 6 is of a size barely large enough toallow the folded upper member of the strap 1 to pass over the initialfold of the lower member, in entering the passage.

As the folded end of the upper member on the strap 1 passes over thefirst fold of the lower member the inherent spring in the upper membercauses the tongue 5' to move into enga'gement with the shoulder 6' ofthe lower member thereby looking the upper member securely in the longpassage 6 of the body portion. i

Any attempt to withdraw either member from the passage 6 only tends tolock the device more tightly, but if sufficient force be applied torupture the member, it will break at the point where the metal isweakened from the sharp bend in the formation of the tongue 5', andleave part of the member in the passage 6, which is too small to permitthe strap being folded and replaced in the passage.

What is claimed is:

A car seal comprising a metallic tubular body portion, a metallic sealstrap of a width equal to the interior width of the body portion, oneend of the seal strap being extended into the body portion, said sealstrap being clamped and held between the walls of the body portion atone end of the body portion, closing one end of the body portion, saidstrap being bent upon itself at a point within the body portionproviding a shoulder intermediate the ends of the body portion, the freeend of the seal strap being extended laterally and rearwardly providinga locking tongue, said tongue adapted to snap into engagement with theshoulder holding the strap against removal from the body portion, theinner end of the seal Strap at the base of the tongue,

engaging the inner surface of the tubular body preventing reversemovement of the strap.

RAFFAELE PERROTTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Number 4 UNITED sTATEs PA'I'ENTs

